Long Overdue Update

Wow...it has been months and months since I last updated you on the Horvaths. Once summer hit, life got even busier and quite unpredictable! So very much has happened with us. Are you ready? Here we go....

Summer Travels and Travelers
We welcomed friends and family into our home for close to 30 days of our summer. Folks came to visit, look for jobs, crash while finding an apartment to live in. It was so nice (really it was) to have them here to show what Austin has to offer, swim in our pool with, cook meals for...just share life with. We also traveled to a few places. We had a wonderful time in Port Aransas, TX in June (nice beach, amazing shrimp, great time with Brett's folks). In July, we took a 3 week trip to visit family in Amarillo and Denver, and friends in Glenwood Springs, CO. We went back to Glenwood to be help with a service project for RiverChurches (which is the house church network we were a part of there.) Brett put on his toolbags and helped lead a big renovation project (with dozens of volunteers). While we were there, our loved ones/co-ministers gave us a car (‘98 Toyota Corolla)! We've had only one car since moving to Austin, and now we have TWO! Very cool how God provides for us. We were overwhelmed to be blessed in that way. We were able to have nice, relaxing, sweet times with both our parents, cousins, siblings, and friends from our Colorado house church. It was so great. In early August, Tiff flew to Amarillo (alone!) for 5 days to help her parents as her Dad had prostate surgery. He is doing well; surgery a success. Brett did a fantastic job as the solo parent, and Tiff had a nice time being kid-free and spending time with her family in Amarillo. : ) In late August, Brett and Ava flew to Colorado so that Bcett could be a witness at a trial. They stayed for a week and then drove back the car given to us. They stopped in Amarillo for the night, and made it home just in time for Ava's school to start. Whew!

Kid Happenings
Josh started the summer off by getting his long flowing locks chopped off. We took him to Brett's hair dude Phoenix. (I usually say hair stylist, but Brett corrects me. I guess that doesn't sound "manly" enough. hair engineer? hair technician? hair specialist?) Let me paint a picture for you: Phoenix works at Floyd's 99 Barbershop which is a very chromed-out place that plays loud music. He is Jordanian, fit, has numerous tattoos, short spiked hair, has been on several reality TV shows, moved from L.A., and was a backup dancer for the singer “Pink”. Josh sat perfectly still for 30 minutes in the barber chair and got a haircut like Brett's. It was awesome to see...such a cute little guy, looked tough the whole time, never shed a tear! The haircut was short but looked great. Ava and Lily were cute little fish this summer, swimming in the pool almost daily (to cool off from Austin's 50+ days over 100 degrees!). Josh preferred to be on the deck in his baby pool. Ava and Lily both started school. Ava in 1st grade, Lily in Pre-Kindergarten. They both LOVE it and are learning lots. Brett and I have been helping Ava with her homework; sometimes we feel old. Lily's Pre-K is three half days a week and there are only 9 kids in the class. She has little field trips and Spanish lessons. Both schools are within walking distance from our house. Ava lost her first tooth recently. Brett and I both shed a tear as we held that tiny tooth, thinking how that was the first teeny little tooth she got as a baby. It goes too fast! It reminds me (again) to really try and relish every moment. Emmett our dog is great although he's put on a little weight; Just a little. He preferred the air conditioned house to playing out doors when it got CRAZY hot here in July and August.  

House Church Flourishes
The House Church in our home is going great. We meet every Sunday night and consistently have about 20 adults and 5 kids. Brett began serving at an Inner City ministry (Mission Possible Austin) that has "Church Under the Bridge" every Sunday morning in downtown Austin. Brett led a homeless Bible Studies and helped lead weekly homeless fellowship dinner and service this summer. Through serving with Mission Possible he met several like-minded Christians (also serving there). Several of these folks are now coming to our Sunday House Church. There is also 2 other House Churches that Brett is facilitating on Saturday evenings. Things are going really great! God is really changing lives. It is amazing to be a part of. The House Church network continues to flourish and grow. Check out the website Brett has been working on.—it needs some updating and adjusting but it’s up. www.advancehim.org

New Skills for the Resume'
Lots of changes around our house...Brett started a new job in September. He works for FX Fabrication which is a custom fabrication and welding company in North Austin. "Why is he doing that?" some have asked. The simple answer is it’s seems like God’s will. 1)Brett has always wanted to learn the arts of welding and metal fabrication. 2)We are coming to the end of our year of financial support for ministry (as expected). God’s timing is so perfect always!! We were able to be full time ministers for 7 months, and it was fantastic. Now Brett is working a full time job welding for a great company and ministering when he is not working. God completely worked it out so that the week Brett started looking for a job, Joe (a guy in the house church network) felt like God wanted him to offer Brett a welding job at his company. I've been encouraged by the verses 1 Timothy 6:6-8 lately "Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.....We can't take anything with us when we leave. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." When we are thankful it allows us to truly enjoy what we have. It is something God keeps reminding us about.

Same Kind of Different as Me
When I went home for my Dad's surgery, as I got on the plane I prayed for the encounter of the person I would sit by. It happened to be a sweet Christian gal from Midland. After she recommended a book that my dear friend Shannon also has been trying to get me to read, I knew I had to get the book right away! (Ok, God, I get the message.) : ) Anyway, the book is Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. I finished it recently and it was excellent. It is non-fiction, and about a rich Dallas art dealer (Ron) that befriends a homeless man (Denver) at the urging of his wife. God really spoke to me with something in the book (p. 169) Denver says something like this..."Our limitation is God's opportunity. When you get all the way to the end of your rope and there's nothing you can do, that's when God takes over." The last year has been crazy: moving, leaving a group of amazing friends in Colorado, moving from family, starting over here in Austin, dealing with family and friend's illnesses, changing how we live so dramatically, seeing so many friends hurting, etc. I am so thankful that God took over. When I try to control things, I make a mess of things and fill myself with worry and anxiety. When my Dad was about to have surgery, a friend shared this verse from Romans 12:12 "Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." That kinda sums it up, huh? I'm trying to be patient and pray when things don't go how I expect they should.

What now?

Now it's Fall here and so beautiful. It's quite a change for us to be able to get outside walk, go the park without our snow gear on. : ) We LOVE the weather now. Halloween is this weekend. We're going to a fair at Ava's school, then trick-or-treating (Ava a flapper, Lily a bee, Josh a green monster, Emmett a hot dog). I'll send pics. We're gearing up for lots of houseguests in November and December. My Dad and I get to go to a Texas Longhorn football game with a good friend (Wally) and his Dad on Nov. 21. We're so excited. My parents are coming for Thanksgiving, then cousin & his family in late Nov/early Dec, the more friends & Brett's family in December. We're truly looking forward to the guests and Holiday season!  

Keep us updated on you too! Better go. Love, Tiff and Brett (& kiddos)

Beach, Health, Marriage, Kids

Hi loved ones. Here's the latest from the Horvath home.

Going to the Beach!
Our beach trip happens (God willing) this week. We'll be leaving for Port Aransas on Friday and returning Wednesday. Brett's parents have rented a condo (sleeps 8, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, looks nice) 100 yards from the beach. This week will be a flurry of activity as we plan and pack for our extended family of 7. I should take a picture of our weighted down minivan (I'm picturing the intro to "The Beverly Hillbillies") with strollers, umbrellas, beach toys, coolers, suitcases. The kids are thrilled....we all are. I'm sure I'll have many entertaining stories for you with the next installment. Pray for safety, good weather, healthy & happy Horvaths if you think of it.

Getting Healthy
As you know, we always have some new (freaky, hippie-sounding, Austin) thing we are doing. So here goes...I've become a Greenling. What is that you ask? A person that gets a weekly food delivery from Greenling.com. They specialize in local organic produce & other perishables. You go on the website (only for Austin and San Antonio at this time) and pick out your items, pay, schedule your delivery. They then bring your items to your doorstep once a week. It's like Christmas around here for me on Fridays when my bins come...I LOVE IT! THE FOOD COSTS LESS THAN AT THE GROCERY STORE!!! So naturally we are going to the grocery store WAY LESS. We are also experiencing new things like kale, fennel, green garlic, swiss chard, leeks as well as things we love (carrots, onions, goat cheese, squash, herbs, etc, etc). The greenling deliveries also fit in great with the new program we're doing from the book Spent by Frank Lipman M.D. Here's what the cover says "Spent is a gold mine of life-enhancing, energy-restoring health wisdom--all presented in easy-to-follow bite-sized pieces that go down easily. Following the instructions in this book will change your life!" I totally agree! We honestly have never felt better, and I love how the book has daily chapters that help you learn and be a little healthier--a little at a time. I could go on and on. End of Greenling and Spent Commercial. : )

Friends & Family Health Concerns
As I write (type), I think of loved ones who are sick. Lee Price, Heidi Kimmel, and my Dad (Randy) are struggling with health issues. Sometimes it is hard to rejoice when people you love so much are hurting. Our family hurts so much for them and their families. Lee is at the Mayo clinic in MN. Teams of doctors are trying to find out what is wrong with him as his body is more and more affected by the mystery illness that he contracted in Thailand 6 years ago. As of typing this his health is continuing to deteriorate, his weight is down, his muscles are crackling, joints are painful, muscles twitching, lack of sleep; and now it seems to be moving into his stomach and diaphragm. He has 2 children under 9, please pray for the entire Price family. Heidi has been dealing with throat issues and now dizziness for a few years. She is seeing doctor after doctor as well. She is weary and just wants to know what is wrong with her! My Dad has cancer in his prostate and a hernia. He is having surgery for both in early June (exact date TBA). My family has been through so much over the past year with my Dad's health. He has remained faithful and reliant on Christ. It is so hard to know what to say. I struggle with that issue with God. I know God can heal them. I believe that He can. I know it. But will He? When talking with them, we want to give an answer, to solve it but we can't. We listen, we pray with them. It's heartbreaking. Please pray for the healing and for God to get glory through these situations.

Marriage Thoughts
We've had lots of conversations about marriage this week. Seems like marriages of many around us are under attack. Marriage is hard, you know? We've been married 11 1/2 years. Through that time we’ve had many seasons of things being great. Sometimes it’s challenging, frustrating, exciting and excruciating. Often I feel all of those things in one week (or one day!) One of the coolest experiences in our Glenwood Springs Community is that we had many in our group that would talk freely about how things were really going at home. I've been in lots of church groups and THAT IS RARE. Seldom do we admit that there is a problem in our marriage. I can speak from experience that God blesses us when we are honest about our struggles (of course, we should share because we feel that the Holy Spirit is leading us, we speak the truth in love, etc). This week my mom shared an excellent email about marriage from Rick Warren. He says:

You and your spouse were both created to become like Christ. God uses your spouse to build his values, attitudes, morals, and character within you. God uses your spouse, and your relationship with each other, to form you into an image of Jesus.

Once you understand this, a lot of what happens within your marriage will begin to make more sense. When you start to ask, "Why is this happening to me?" The answer is—to make you more like Jesus!

If God's purpose for each of our lives is to make us look more like Jesus, what better tool could he use than the marriage relationship? Who better for God to use to chisel you than the person you live with seven days a week? God is using each of you to shape the other person more and more into the image of Jesus.

God's work within your marriage is designed to produce "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control" within you and your spouse (Galatians 5:22-23 TEV).

I love that. Puts a new perspective on the challenges of marriages. I pray your marriage is strengthened and protected. I also pray that we all have the courage to share our struggles and seek help because when the challenges are in the open, God’s people can know how to help and heal.

Kid Thoughts
Let's see...what is going on with the Horvath kids. Josh is teething right now. He's got that runny nose, red-rimmed eyes, won't eat much, fevering. Even while teething he's such a good boy (thank you God), he's still trying to be happy. He's getting bigger, saying more words, climbing up even more on stuff. A few days ago, I was doing dishes and hadn't seen him in a minute or so, it was too quiet. So I went into the bathroom and there he was, sitting Indian-style in the sink! Wow! Lily, sweet Lily, she is the most excited of all of us about the beach. She had her 4th birthday a few weeks ago. It was a red and white themed High School Musicial party at House Church. She fills her days with coloring, Barbies, dress-up. She's gotten great at dressing herself (she matches most of the time). Her hair is very curly in this humidity. Most nights at dinner she prays "God let my hair stay curly." Too cute. Ava has a boyfriend, Ron, in her class. It has started!!!!!! The love notes, questions ("Will I marry Ron when I'm older)?", explanations ("Mama? Daddy said something about Ron and a shot gun???). It isn't too serious as Ron also is the boyfriend of Ava's 2 best friends also. I explained that when she is older, she won't been too keen on sharing a boyfriend. I'm amazed (still) at what she's learning at school. We're watching TV and she says "that is an Orca Whale." I won't be able to help with her with her homework for much longer. Ha! Emmett is happy & healthy, going to the kennel this week while we are at the beach.

House Church Flourishes
Thanks for praying and supporting. It is working! House Church is off and running. Mike (that replaced our windshield) has been coming each time. His "woman" : ) (Casey) has not come yet. He brought his business partner Kelly who is going to bring his wife next time. We have two redhead gals named Sarah coming (what are the odds?). One is a beloved friend from our Denver days. The other is now my Esther Bible Study. She is in her early 20s, her husband is a soldier in Iraq (Travis). They were only married 2 weeks before he was deployed. Please pray for both of them as this time is extremely difficult. Listening to her struggles (and her explain his near-death experiences) sure makes me think my trials are alot less of a big deal. Shannon and her kids are still coming too. Peter (i hate to label him, but he is an agnostic) has not been in a few weeks due to work but says he'll be back. We've also got probably 3 more couples that say they are coming next time. Our times reading the discussing the Bible (Matthew 6 last week) have been amazing. I hesitate to use that word, but they really have been amazing, Spirit-filled, great conversations. We are so blessed to be doing this, and the coolest thing is we are seeing Christ change lives!

Parting Thoughts
The garden is doing great. I'm trying all sorts of tactics to keep the birds from eating the lettuce. Groups of morning doves congregate in the garden. They think it is their own personal salad bar! : ) Things we've got growing: zucchini, yellow squash, cantaloupe, all kinds of hot peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, radishes, spinach, lettuce, herbs, carrots, onions, cucumbers, green beans, edamame. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Our extra bedroom is getting booked up quick! : ) Come visit us. Austin is great, just hot and humid (we're still loving the weather but we know hotter weather is coming...) We're finding lots of cheap (or free) things to do. We love it here! Brett's been consistently running for exercise. The pool is ready and being enjoyed regularly. Brett's been coaching and training others to coach. We've been watching movies (liked Doubt, Slumdog Millionaire, Bedtime Stories).

Please write and let us know how you are doing. We miss you! Love, Tiff (& the rest of the clan.)

Spring, Transformation, Pools, Connected

Here is the latest update from the Horvath home.

Ahhh...Spring
As I type, I'm looking out our office window, we're surrounded by huge, trees already full of green leaves. In fact, it is green everywhere....all shades of green. It has been raining all day. Today I had the best surprise. I went outside to check out my garden since I planted some veggie seeds 4 days ago. I was shocked to find that some little sprouts are already up. I've been praying for God to bless our garden (seriously...I have been.) He's answering! Most of the seed packets state it takes 1-2 weeks for germination. I can't tell you how excited I am!!! Planting and getting the garden ready was an amazingly sweet experience. All last week, while I shoveled, moved rocks, and planted, I had 3 little helpers involved in every stage of the process...Ava helped dig, make the holes for the seeds and drop the veggie seeds. Lily scattered thyme seeds around the stone path. Josh was stealing our shovels, trying to move rocks and dig, sitting in my lap each time I sat to plant seeds, and hugging me from behind. It is truly a family project and we hope to enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of our labor all summer long! For those who live in Austin, we'll share the bounty. (A special thanks to Brett for being the brawn behind the digging and tilling of the soil.)

Followers With the Potential for Transformation
I read something this week about Jesus' disciples. "To the rest of the world, they seemed unimpressive. Unwashed, untaught, and sometimes uncouth. But Jesus saw in them exactly what he needed--followers with the potential for transformation." That is a crazy thought....that Jesus isn't as impressed by what we can do (read and write in Greek and Hebrew), what we don't do (cuss, do drugs, get in drunken brawls), at who we know, what we know, what we do for Him, how many hours we serve, etc, etc. He's not as impressed with all of that as He is with our desire to change, be transformed, be teachable. Easier said than done! Another quote I love "God is more concerned about our character than our comfort. His goal is not to pamper us physically but to perfect us spiritually." A guy came to house church named Mike...he's just a regular dude, puts in glass windshields and stuff for a living (which is how we met him...he put in our new glass in the van). His first time at house church was this past week. It was amazing to hear him speak about how he is looking for a place to hang out with other Christians put doesn't want to go to a "traditional" church. He spoke of his desire to have Christ continue to transform him and for his "woman" (as he referred to her) to believe and accept Christ. He also talked about even as a Christian, he still makes bad choices and hates that he does it. By looking at him, you would never guess that he was as knowledgeable as he was about the Bible or that he was a Christ follower at all. Funny how we have an idea in our head about what a Christ follower should and should not look like. Just because someone doesn't fit the mold, doesn't mean I should count them out. This week Christ reminded me (yet again) to try to see people as he does....all in need of Him, a Savior, to transform them.

News From Our Home
The kids are good. Yesterday we went to Ava's school's playground. All 5 of us were running around, playing soccer, swinging, doing the monkey bars (some of us better than others...if you get a chance, try it, it is a workout for a 35 year old...makes me wonder how we did without getting tired back in the day). Josh LOVED roaming free in such a big space. Last night when I was tucking Lily in she said "Can we go back to Ava's school playground. I want to live there." Fun time had by all. Josh got a haircut this week and is still happy and huge. He's doing great on the stairs (and my back, shoulders, neck thank him). Lily is perfecting her dress-up technique...she's quite skilled at accessorizing with scarves, hats...she's thinking outside the box, too...tutus for hats, my shirts for dresses, etc. Happy to report that a few of Ava's teachers told me she has really adjusted to her new school and doing great. Her main teacher said last week that she has caught up and is doing great in all her subjects (even math!). She's even in the top reading group. We're starting to have the neatest conversations with Ava, she's really thinking and learning. At dinner a few days ago, she asked me if I'm sad because I don't live with my parents anymore. What a great question! Brett and I explained how when you grow up you want to move out (some kids more than others...ha!) and especially when you are ready to get married, you're ready to move out of your parent's house. So cute!

Beaches, Pools are in our Future
We're headed to the beach! Brett's parents are taking us to the beach for a long weekend (almost week) around Memorial Day. We're so excited to rent a big condo in Port Aransas, TX within 100 yds of the beach. The kids first time to go to the beach, and we're all thrilled to go on May 22-27 or so. (Almost a month to get in shape to wear swimsuits...ha!) They don't allow pets at the condo (sniff. sniff. Emmett would love the beach... so sad!) A friend recommended a great kennel for Emmett outside of town. I totally trust her recommendation (her dogs are treated better than most people's children). Hopefully, he'll have fun in Leander, TX while we're away. We've been working on the pool, and it is almost ready! Brett has quickly become proficient in all things pool....chemicals, vacuuming, sweeping, shocking. It's still a little cold in there but the temperature climbs daily as it gets warmer and warmer here. Last Tuesday as I drove to Bible Study, a temperature sign on the side of the highway said it was 99! It still feels good to us (probably because we have 2 air conditioners in our home or maybe because we moved from a frozen wasteland ). The pool is huge, and we're all so excited to break it in! Come visit us this summer...you can swim and eat food from our garden!

Connected But Not Connecting
I went to a Women's Conference this past weekend with my lovely friend Shannon. Guess what it was about? Community. : ) The speaker talked about in the Western world how we are SO connected (Facebook! Twitter, Email, Faxes, Text messages) but not necessarily connecting with each other in a personal, authentic or satisfying way. I keep hearing from many of my friends things like "I have a lot of friends but not enough deep friendships." or "I'm too busy to keep up with my friends." The speaker also mentioned that 41% of Americans of fewer close friends than they did in the recent past. We Westerners are brought up to be self-sufficient and self-reliant. I think that is one reason it is so hard to be real to each other...to not always say "I'm good" "I'm fine" but tell those close to us that we're afraid because our parent is sick, we're shocked at how hard marriage really is, we're lonely and need to get out of the house, whatever! I challenge you to find someone to be "real" with.

Parting Thoughts
Let's see..what else? Brett is doing a Coaching Clinic in San Antonio in May, and he is one of the Trainers. Very Cool. We have regulars coming to House Church and it is GREAT! Still Wednesdays at 6:30. I found a local brewer of Kombucha that is my new favorite brand and cheaper than the Synergy brand. (Don't know what Kombucha is? Google it. It is a "tea" that is great for you and quite addictive (in a good, healthy way).) I (finally) got new glasses and contacts. I saw my friend since Jr. High (years ago my Taco Villa lunch buddy now Dr. Wally!) He did a great job. I can see better now than ever before...my night driving has improved greatly. That's all I can think of . We can't tell you how much we thank you for your prayers and miss you. You are a true blessing to us!

Love, Tiff (and Brett and kids)

Update: Hail, Kids, Ministry, God's Grammar

Wow! It has been a busy last few weeks. Sorry I haven't emailed sooner. Let's see? What has been happening... Get ready for a long one. : )

Hail No!
Almost 2 weeks ago, we planned to start our Horvath Home Gathering (House Church) on Weds 3/24. The food was made, we had a few people coming. Then about half an hour before it was to start, we had a crazy hail storm. For about 2 to 5 minutes there was baseball-sized hail. The back window of the minivan was blown out, it looked like someone shot it out with a shotgun. (as I wrote this Brett just returned from the insurance claim center with a $2800 check to get the repairs fixed.) Our minivan and the suburban we're using had plenty of gnarly hail dents too. It hit the city around rush hour so the highways were stopped for awhile. You should see how bad the cars look at the dealerships around here. Also, tons of cars had broken windows, houses need new roofs. The girls were confused..."what is it? is it snow? snow balls?" Needless to say, due to the storm our guests didn't come for house church that night, so we continued on with just our family. It was still great to read the Bible with the girls (Josh was asleep).

Kid Stuff
Kiddos are great! Ava is doing well at school, got her first report card which only graded her on her first 2 weeks at school. here grades were 4 out of 4 in most attitude and behavior related items, and 3 out of 4 with a few 2's in English and Math. This was not surprising since her school here is so far ahead of her Glenwood school. The standards for what is basic (just meeting, not exceeding) or 2 here appear to be the same as a 3 or 4 (exceeding or consistently exceeding). She is reading well, and I can already see the difference in being at such a great school. She snapped out of her latest sassy phase, and is very happy again. : ) Lily is still enjoying our at home time without Ava. She enjoys playing with Barbies (even though Josh tries to eat the Barbie shoes), playing dress up, High School Musical 3 (she's been wearing red and white most days to support the East High Wildcats from HSM), and coloring. She is counting the days when she can go to Preschool (next Sept) and talking alot about going to the beach (great idea!). She is set on marrying Daddy one day, but when Lily asked if Ava wanted to marry Daddy, Ava said "No, I'll marry a much cuter, younger boy." Josh is busy, happy, large. My back hurts at the end of the day from carrying that hoss up & down the stairs. He can go up and down the stairs solo, we're just watching him and going with him until he is very good at it and comfortable. He's talking tons. We'll ask him a question? "Where's Ava?" and he'll say something like "She's my sister." He talks real fast, but sometimes you can totally make out the words. With all the toys we have, his favorite things are our toothbrushes (we have to hide them) and kitchen gadgets (not the sharp ones). Everyone is still loving the back yard, and we're out there every day for at least an hour or two. Emmett is slim and trim, flea-less, and about to need another shave.

Brett's family visits
Last weekend Brett's mom and dad came (from Denver) Thurs to Sunday, and his brother came in from Dallas Sat to Sunday. We shopped, introduced them to some our favorite restaurants (Schlotzsky's, Chuy's, Rudy's, Amy's, La Madeline), showed them the Arboretum pond/park, Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful weekend (70's and 80's). We had a great time catching up, enjoying the back yard, sharing our new life with them. Of course the kids adored seeing their Grammy and Papa too! They left snow and came back to Denver with a blizzard. I know they were happy to escape from the snow and cold for the weekend. They left happy to see us and physically sore from carrying around Josh the Bruiser.

Coaching, Ministry, Bible Study
Amazing things are happening. First, Our Bible Study starts tonight (Beth Moore's Esther) at my friend Shannon's house. Thirteen people are coming, most from Shannon's gym. The cool thing is that most of these gals haven't done this type of study, don't regularly attend church, and/or aren't Christ followers. I am so excited to see how God works in this time and through the in-depth study of the Bible. Second, Brett attended a week long Coaching Certification which licenses him to train coaching classes. He is seeing alot of recognition and success as he continues with coaching. I'm bragging about him...many of his trainers and peers are saying he is extremely gifted at coaching. He is coaching 5 people right now, and loving it! Very cool. Finally, we have had several encounters with either friends we already know or those we just met. I saw at friend at a burger joint that we love and really wanted to get back in touch with. Right before (seconds before), I saw her, I was praying that God would put people in my path that I needed to talk to. We've invited her to house church and are praying she'll come. Brett met a guy at the BMX park, Joe, that he talked to Christ. Brett explained to him about why we moved to Texas, about our thoughts on Christ, community, about how it is about a relationship not religion. Joe said "I could really get behind that." There is an "old man" night (also called "The Dirty Thirties") at the BMX park on Weds, so we may switch our House Church to another night. I can't help but think there may be a BMX church at the park one of these days...we'll see. We met a really cool couple that have a non-traditional church (meets in a music venue/club, has extensive community outreach) here in town. They seem to share many of our values about community, possessions, ministry, etc. We are excited to get to know them better.

God's Grammar and Lazarus
Lazarus has come up alot lately, in my Mary Martha book and a movie we just watched The Lazarus Project (with Paul Walker, we liked it. I won't tell you about it, it'll give too much away.) Did you know Jesus waited four days after hearing until he went to see Lazarus? He was dead and buried for four days. Mary and Martha were Lazarus' sisters. I can't begin to know what they were thinking, but I bet they questioned why Jesus didn't come back sooner and help their brother. I read and loved this. "God always has a plan. But it may not follow human logic. In fact, it may often seem to go directly against what we believe about God." The last few days I've been reading a part called God's Grammar specifically Never put a period where God puts a comma. So often when I don't hear from Him about something, I think the answer is "no". It is hard to trust His schedule. I'll admit it, I don't often enjoy or like His delays. I want to know now! However, I do know those times when He doesn't answer right away, He has used to change me or strengthen my faith in Him.

That is all I can think of right now. Here are some prayer requests.

• Gals in Esther Bible Study, Tues nights 7 pm: for those that don't know Christ to accept Him, for all of us to commit to completing the homework daily (45 min), that God would change all of us through the Study.
• Horvath Home Gathering: That God would bring those that He wants to be here.
• Coaching, Ministry Funding: We sent out a fundraising letter for our ministry (non-profit AdvanceHim). That God would bless Brett's coaching. Also, that Christ would speak to those who He wants to partner with us as we strive to live our whole lives for Christ

We love you and miss you! Thanks for your prayers. Love, Tiff (and Brett, Ava, Lily, Josh, and Emmett)

What happened??

Wild Parties: New Definition?!?
Well, it is official, we've graduated, we're getting old. Life has changed. Our "We're here in Austin, come for a party" Party last Sunday was nice. It was fun, but a very different kind of fun than 15 years ago. Then we might have had store-bought mozzarella cheese sticks, chips and salsa, cheap pizza, cheetos, beer, dr. pepper, chips ahoy in the bag. Now it was a feast of (all homemade) enchiladas, chimichangas, beef casserole, rice, beans, several gourmet dips, 3 delectable dessert choices, 4 different wine choices, 10 varieties of beer, etc, etc. In the past, we had meaningful conversations, maybe danced a little, flirted with our significant other, told stories, enjoyed the music selection. Now we, try really hard to continue a conversation while teamworking with our spouse to watch each of our three kids out of the corner of our eyes. "So how is your new company you started going? Hold that thought, ""Brett, Josh just feel in the mud, Lily has to go potty, Ava is about to hit that boy with a huge stick."" Sorry so how is your new company???" There were 10 adults at the party and 9 kids (7 of which were 3 and under). : ) The entertainment for the evening consisted of watching the kids take turns acting like a monster and chasing the other kids around the yard. My parents were able to come, and were extremely entertained at how life has changed for my good friends and bridesmaids. They said something like "footloose and fancy free and now you're all chasing kids." Joking aside, this is something Shannon and I used to talk about back in 1994 at UT, we'd talk about how we hope and pray that we would be able to see our children know each other and play together. It is special to see that come to fruition and it is a true blessing from God! We'll keep having these parties, we promise, we love to have people over. The next one, most likely, will be an Easter gathering (for those who won't be travelling to see family or just want to stop by). Also, in the future, they may involve a theme and a costume of some kind. Hmmm....

My Parent's Blessing
I've been thinking about something since my parents were just here last week. They left yesterday to travel to other parts of Texas. Isn't it funny how, even as adults, we desire or even crave at times, our parent's approval. It feels so good to have your parents provide that encouragment. It can be about almost anything: your children, your child raising skills, your cooking, your home, your spouse, your life, your appearance, your character, whatever. Even as adults, it just feels good to be praised by your parents. I imagine that even the most successful people in the world (world leaders, CEOS, billionaires) feel this way. A common thing to all humans, I think. Our week with my parents was so nice. We had some great meals out and in, watched movies (some good Australia, some bad The Band's Visit), hung out all together, worked together to get ready for the party. Some truly special moments were seeing my mom covered in grandkids and my time gardening with my dad (raking leaves and planting onions. Yeah, the garden is started!). I've been writing this book (a journal really) for a few years called "When I'm Old, I"ll..." , it is full of things I want to remember to do when I am old. I have several great things to add after my parent's last visit such as "When I'm old, I will visit my children when they move to a new house. I'll help them get settled. When I'm old, I'll garden with my kids. I'll enjoy just sitting and playing with grandkids. I'll try to always encourage my kids about something each time I see them." I'm so thankful that we had a wonderful visit with my parents. My Dad starts his radiation seeds soon (though they say it is not painful, is fast, and is not a "big deal", only side effect should be fatigue.). It was wonderful to be with family and enjoy them, especially since we never know how much time with have with our loved ones.

What happened???
Since we moved to Austin, I've been sending these mega-emails to my friends & family. Some are school friends, work friends, church friends, family. I know some people are wondering "What happened to Tiffany?" (Some have asked me that.) It has become clear to me that I have changed, and that I definitely (sadly) compartmentalized my faith more in the past. This change has been over time though, it didn't occur when I crossed the Texas border a month ago. : ) After moving to Colorado and especially after moving to Glenwood, God did some BIG things in me, personally, which I'd love to share with you one-on-one. I know I am supposed to provide these updates to our friends, supporters, family. So here I am.... I often tell a story of a guy I worked with in Denver. After we moved to Glenwood in 2004, I sent out our normal Christmas letter to him to which had lots about how Brett was going to work for a church, etc. He wrote back and said something like "I didn't even know you were a Christian." We had worked together for probably 3 years, but for one year closely on the same team. Ouch! That was a hard lesson. I had been so concerned with not offending him and was also somewhat ashamed of my faith, too. Needless to say, it seems like the more Christ changes me, the less I care about what others think. This is who I am, but I am not happy to stay like this. I want God to change me more daily to be like Christ. I read something cool today from my Mary/Martha book, which I'll paraphrase. This was me...totally...I really felt this way (and still do at times.)

"We were created for the fullness of God, not an ounce or liter less. But are we ready for that? God will most likely require our being stretched. At the very least, it is sure to disturb our comfort. Are we willing to let God explode our comfort zone and expand our capacity for Him? Or do we want a God we can manage? Unfortunately, a lot of the time this is precisely what we want--enough of God to make us happy, but not enough to make us change. We'd never say it but our attitude is often like this:

I would like $20 worth of God, please not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal the good feelings of a spa massage or a snooze in a hammock in the sunshine. I don't want enough of Him to make me love radically because that would be too uncomfortable. Because I would never want to serve alongside a gay person at an AIDS hospice, babysit a single parent's unruly kids, or talk about Jesus to a stranger. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack (or reuseable ecobag). I would like to buy $20 worth of God, please."

I cannot tell you how uncomfortable I felt at the idea of what really following Christ meant, at what He would ask me to do, or not do. I was especially afraid of what He'd ask me to give up (cute clothes, money!) or where He'd ask me to go (Africa!). But He never forces us to follow Him, He's a gentleman. We can say "No" to him. We can choose to keep Him in a compartment in our lives. We are as close to God as we want to be. Wow! I've been there. I can also proclaim with absolute certainty that I have never more at peace or content than when He is the center or source of my entire life.

Spring Break Wanderings
It is Ava's Spring Break which means....sleeping late (later...7 instead of 6) and time to enjoy some what Central Texas offers during the week. So far we've been playing outside during the day, going for little errands (to get the kids out of the house so Brett can get more work done), eating meals outside. (It rained and was cloudy all last week until a few hours before our party Sunday (thanks God). This week it has been GORGEOUS. Perfect Spring weather.) Today we went to the Austin Fair and Rodeo. We had an excellent time! The girls enjoyed a pony ride, the petting zoo, and riding a dragon mini roller coaster. We ate good food, danced to a Texas-y band. Jesse McCartney played at the Rodeo tonight (Brett and I are loving his music lately, we'll admit it. Check out the songs Leavin' and How Do You Sleep?) but we figured that was too late to keep out our little munchkins. Friday we are going to Sea World in San Antonio with another family. There's a free kid-friendly concert at the South by Southwest Music Festival on Saturday afternoon which we will try to hit. There is tons going in Austin this month. Fun, fun! They probably plan all these events now because it is so HOT in the summer.

Brett's Been Busy
Several of you are asking and wondering what is Brett doing? (I keep hearing "Now what is Brett doing again?") Brett is working on 4 things: AdvanceHim stuff (AdvanceHim is a non-profit formed to support house church training, recruiting, funding), Professional Coaching, writing training materials, and our personal house church group. This week, Brett set up (with the IRS) his professional coaching company called Advantage Coaching Solutions(ACS). He is being sent (i.e. paid for by the powers-that-be) to attend 2 more coaching training events next month, which is awesome! He's begun coaching, and next month starts receiving income for coaching. He is also writing curriculum about House Church which will be used to educate people on the House Church movement, how to start one, etc. We continue to receive financial support from individuals (thank you!) and are receiving the monies from the organizations that committed to fund our ministry as well. We are blessed to be able to be "sent" and spend our time dedicated to the ministry God has called us to here in Austin!

Parting thoughts
Happy St Patrick's Day! Hope you have a great week. We were given 2 different people's names in one day that might like to be a part of our house church. Emmett is good, no news there. Ava and Lily received early birthday gifts from the grandparents (High School Musical 3 DVD, a Barbie razor scooter for Ava, Slip-N-Slide which we'll probably try out tomorrow). Josh is now quite comfortable climbing the stairs as well as the small slide in the backyard. Last week, He discovered the water hose. We let all the kids play in the garden with the hose (i.e. mud pit). Fun, fun! Brett is still perfecting his "tail whip" on his BMX bike. Things are great! Thanks for your prayers and friendship.

Love, Tiff

March 7 Austin Update

God's DeeDee
For any of you that don't know "her", DeeDee is Lily's blankie. She named her that when she was between age 1 and 2; we don't know why. : ) I've been thinking this week and reading in Joana Weaver's (amazing) book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World about something. The book talks about how this man's sister left her rag doll (Pandy) at a motel. Once they realized it, the family turned around (after driving for hours, I think) to go back to the motel and find Pandy. The doll was that important to the family because she was that important to the little girl. The book goes on to talk about how like Pandy or DeeDee, we are often broken, dirty, smelly...whatever, but that we are truly loved by God. We are God's DeeDee. He goes out of His way to have us with Him, protect us, keep us close. He treasures us. If you have spent any time around us at all, I'm sure you have been a part of a DeeDee search party around bedtime or naptime. "Where's DeeDee? Have you seen DeeDee? Mama, I LOVE her. Please find her." It is so cool to reflect on how much God loves us....even more than precious DeeDee. A side note about DeeDee, she was packed in the bowels of one of our moving trucks and Lily didn't have her for 3 days during the big move. One of the men in the army of helpers, used her to wrap something in, thinking she was just another old blanket. THANK GOD she was found (in good shape) a few days after being here. Kudos to Lily for being a champ and dealing well with not having her for a few days. Thankfully, God ALWAYS knows our value and where we are. He never loses us.

Progress
Ahhh...we're starting to feel good about how the house looks. Only a few boxes here and there in the downstairs, and more in the upstairs. We've been working hard all week, and we're feeling better about the state of the house. The guest room is ready for guests. Come on over! My parent's are coming next Tues for a few days. We look forward to showing them our new place. We love it. Brett has been BMXing in our cul-de-sac and has met almost all of the neighbors from the 7 homes in our street. They have been nice and talkative. Most are embarrassed to admit they don't know the other neighbors. Brett and Andy (man in his 60s a few houses down) are now planning a cul-de-sac block party together. Also, we are having a big Potluck next Sunday, March 15 at 5:30. We've invited pretty much everyone we know here (about 30 people, I'd say). It'll be a time to catch up with old friends and some family. We'll keep you posted on that. We're starting house church this week too. Please pray that God will be all in these times, conversations, meetings so we can further His kingdom.

Sacrifice
Mother Teresa said "True love hurts. It always has to hurt. If you really love one another, you will not be able to avoid making sacrifices." I read that this week and have really been thinking about it. I've thought about how so many of you have loved us, truly loved us, which is evident in the sacrifices you make such as: babysitting our children, packing our junk into boxes and trucks, financially giving to our ministry, bringing us food, loaning us vehicles, driving us places, giving us washers and dryers, etc. I've been a part of many religious groups in the past in which I was so involved with religious activities that I neglected to reach out to those around me. I mistakenly thought "my" relationship with God was just about gainly knowledge, another Bible Study or class, etc. That is not what you have shown to us, you have been Christ to us with how you've truly loved us. Thank you so much. We will never forget your sacrificial love. Moving forward, we (our family) seek to do this. To love like the quote speaks of...in a way that costs us something, that hurts, to love truly in a way that is sacrificial. This is so rarely seen, I think it totally sets a person or group apart. It points to nothing else but Christ since I feel living--and loving--like this is impossible without Christ doing it through us.

On a Lighter (and Grosser) Note
Wow....deep thoughts, I know. We've had some fun adventures to the mall (kids loving the indoor play place, Josh's first time on one), Chuy's restaurant (an Austin establishment, Mexican food, so good), Brett's BMXing journeys. He found an outdoor, dirt BMX track (park?) that he is dying to have Corey and Charlie (and anyone else willing to) come to with him. We found Lily's new preschool (Covenant Methodist) which is in walking distance from our home. It will be next Sept M, T, W from 9:30 to 1:30 for Pre-Kindergarten. It is great and cheaper than what were paying in Glenwood. (yeah!) She visited with us and is excited to go. Ava has a little girl "clique" that she is a part of now. They've been planning their outfits. "Let's all wear red tomorrow." She is doing great at school, not all all sad. The teacher said she is doing well. All day kindergarten makes a huge difference. We can tell already that she is reading better, talks about science concepts, etc. She is now lecturing us for wasting water by letting it run or drip, and talking about pollution, littering, etc. We're working on her all-around general sassy-ness...not fun, pray for us. Josh is great, still happy as a clam, eating tons and tons. Taking good naps. Good boy. He and Brett have been going out for lots of "man errands" such as getting chainsaw parts, looking for vehicles, buying bean sprouts and gourmet green garlic at Whole Foods (ok, so that isn't too "manly"). They're loving it. Gross dog story: Last week, Emmett had a rough day. I was outside when I saw Emmett rubbing his back on the grass. A few minutes later, Lily and I are eating lunch on a blanket. Lily says "Ewww. I smell poop." Emmett was rolling in poop and it is all over his back and neck. So I begrudgingly bathe him. That night after we were in bed, Emmett pooped in the house twice in the middle of the night (on tile, thank God). After Brett cleaned it up, a few hours later he heard Emmett heaving. Brett carries Emmett down stairs to get him out to throw up. As they were running down the stairs, Emmett launches all over the stairs and the walls. Horrible. For a few days, Emmett doesn't eat much and his tummy keeps gurgling. We keep wondering what he got into. Finally, Brett and I realize that he has been "snacking" in the compost pile. He's been munching on old, rotten veggie and fruit scraps. Since we blocked it off, he is much better.

Parting thoughts
To blog or not to blog? I was talking to Brett about how I was thinking of doing a blog, because I feel like I am bombarding people with my mega e-mails. His opinion is that I should keep with the emails, because people don't read blogs as much. So for the time being, I'm keeping it up. : ) You can of course, unsubscribe at any time by sending this back with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. : ) I wish I could call or text each of you, but can't right now due to my lack of free time due to my 3 little sweeties. So for the time being, I'm sending these long mass email updates. I just miss you and think of you often! I want to share what is happening.

Please pray for:
*divine appointments as we are out and about going about our lives.
*us to listen when God says "talk to him/her" as we're out and about.
*God to use our relationships, connections, conversations with friends and family to bring people to Him.
*our funding to be secure (it has been a bit stressful with the money promised from various religious organizations)
*my Dad begins radiation soon. For it to kill the cancer fully.
*my parent's trip and visit to be great.*I'm sure I'm forgetting something.... oh well. Love in Him, Tiff

Feb 26 Austin Update

Changes
I had lunch with a friend yesterday who wondered why everything we were eating was funky, natural, and organic. Brett said I had "gone to the dark side." My friend said something like "I remember you in college. You ate the WORST FOOD ever..." the conversation went on for awhile. I mentioned I remember eating Garlic Cheesebread (Pizza dough covered with cheese and spices with ranch and marinara dips) at 2 a.m. in the dorm. Wow! Got me thinking about changing. I love the changes we've made here so far such as composting kitchen scraps for the garden. Also, recycling...here it is part of your regular trash service. They give you a HUGE can to put your recycle stuff like plastics, cans, paper, etc (there are rules on the can) and a tiny can for the rest of your trash. So we have 2 trash bins inside, one for all the recycle stuff, one not. Very cool, It has me thinking all the time about what is recycle-able. Brett says I follow him around to gather his recycle-able trash...not true, like I'd have time to do that????!!! These environmental/lifestyle changes are positive, but I want God to change my heart too. Moving and being faced with a visible reminder (i.e. boxes) of how much STUFF I have is humbling. Since I have been here, I have been thinking about habits I have had for years such as shopping for the wrong reasons (boredom, to escape, pick me up, entertainment). Not having much money and God working in me has caused me to think about what I really need before I go out (novel idea...ha!). I'm sure I'll have a lifelong struggle with shopping for entertaiment, I just wanted to share that. I now know that only Christ truly satisfies me....not hunting for a new pair of earrings, strappy black shoes, etc. (Though earrings and shopping are not inherrently wrong.....they just can be if put before Christ.) My prayer is that I will continually remember He alone satisfies me..nothing else (not even Whole Foods market.)

Kid news
Ava is doing GREAT at school. She says she LOVES it! Going all day is a bit of an adjustment....she is tired and cranky by dinner. Needless to say, all the kids go to bed very easily at 7 pm. (or earlier!). Having all day school and a big yard make for tired young uns. Thanks for your prayers for all our kids. Lily is loving having time with us while Ava is at school, she is very happy. Since my last message, Josh is basically back to his old, uberhappy self. Yesterday after school, we all enjoyed Amy's Ice Cream (the best) at a beautiful park. It was very warm (low 80s) and we had on our summer attire (still weird.... 2 weeks ago we were in snow). Note about last email: Emmett wasn't shaved because of fleas but because Brett wanted to (to keep him cool, see how he'd look, extreme makeover?). He's doing great...still has his confidence.

Thoughts about Community
This week, now that we are more settled, I have been missing something. There is an emptiness, a feeling that something is missing. After praying and thinking and reading in John 15 (bearing fruit part), I realize that I am not satisfied with my life being just about our routine: get up, kid to school, unpack, clean up, eat, kid from school, family time, dinner, sleep, weekends with family and friends. I want more. There is more and it involves taking Christ to others, bearing fruit how He wants...living in Community. After experiencing that in Glenwood with our House Church, I can tell you, I truly miss it. I miss needing and relying on each other, seeing your community (family) during the week, keeping up with each other's lives, sharing how Christ is working in each other It has been less than 2 weeks...shows what an impact in me that true communitity has had. It is not just about Church or going to church, but about living our entire lives for Christ (not just parts of it). I'm not depressed, I have Christ, He is speaking to me and giving me peace; however, I truly desire to have a community of believers here too. I'm excited for it!

Parting thoughts
I'm car-less today. Brett took the van to San Antonio for meetings. Thankfully, Ava's school is only a 20 min walk. We'll be walking to get her this afternoon. It is a nice day. A friend is coming for a play date this afternoon and letting us borrow an extra Suburban that they have. (Thank you God and Shannon!) This weekend we get to see more of my friends and their families (yeah, Andrea, Wally & Logan). Come March, let the houseguests begin! Having both sets of parents and possibly Heidi and Charlie. Bring em on! We're excited and the house is (almost) ready. Love you all, Tiff See pics below. Most are taken in back yard (other than the ones at Joe's Crab Shack.)
The big move <http://albums.phanfare.com/6134579/3507394>
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